Letting Go and Moving On
by Goth Albino Angel
Summary: Twenty-year-old Luka's been out on the streets for years. However, things change when a recruiter for Japan's biggest media company wants her to join the business. Slowly, Luka gets adjusted with living inside. But Luka has a secret that's eating her up on the inside. Can Miku and the others get her to open up about her past before the trauma haunting Luka takes her over the edge?
1. Introducing

**_I don't own Vocaloid. Who really does...?_**

**_Alright, here's some more negitoro for you wonderful people. I'm going to be honest. I'm not completely certain where this one came from, but I think the main influence was from my Negitoro senpai, IdrewAcow's fic Cold Past, Warm Present (It's freaking amazing, go read it once you're done this one). So, yeah, the theme came from that, but what happens is relatively different. _**

**_Hope y'all like it. Enjoy, everyone!_**

* * *

It was cold when she woke up. Of course it was, summer was beginning to draw to a close, so the weather was changing. Shivering on the cold asphalt, she pushed herself to her feet and glanced around. It didn't look like anyone had found her little cove this time, which meant she could return once she had finished her day.

_Time to start the day._ she inwardly sighed, brushing herself off and moving across the alley. Picking up the broken comb she had found in a bin not too long ago, she began untangling as much of the knots in her hair as she could. Finishing with her hair, she wandered over to a puddle and splashed some water on her hands to clean them before doing the same with her face. Hair combed and face washed, she scraped at the plaque on her teeth to clean them as much as she could and nodded to herself.

_Time to go hunting for breakfast._ She slipped from the alley and moved along the shadows, not wanting to run into anyone she might have known.

_I doubt they remember me now._ She snorted bitterly. _It's been five years since **it** happened. Not even **she** would remember me if she saw me._

Ducking into an alley near her own, she glanced around for the usual trash bins. This place was wider than the others around because it was host to a restaurant on one side. Hoisting herself up, she dove into one of the large bins and looked around. The bugs were at a minimum today, which meant it would be easier to find a meal. Rummaging around, she smiled when she found a sandwich someone was too full to eat.

Climbing from the bin once more, she stole away with her prize, returning to her makeshift home and settling down to eat. It was her lucky day too; the sandwich was _tuna!_ Mouth watering, she sank her teeth into her favorite snack, savoring this rarity. A treat like this only came once a year, after all.

As she was licking the last of the delicacy from her lips, she glanced over and spotted a man walking near her alley. He didn't seem threatening, so she refrained from warding him off her temporary territory. He passed by and she relaxed, laying back and beginning to hum a melody she remembered from one of her favorite artists. After a while, her lips parted and she began to sing

**_…_**

"If you don't recruit someone within the next week, you're fired!" He stared at his boss in puzzlement. How was he fired after something like that? It was difficult recruiting people. Not everyone was fine with strangers approaching them off the street and giving them a card.

However, he knew his argument would be overlooked and so nodded, his head hanging. "Yes, sir." he murmured docilely.

"Good. Now get out there and do your job."

He turned and left his boss' office. Sighing wearily, he headed for his own, grabbing a few cards. At the very least, he would get a few people who were singing. People enjoyed singing near the end of summer.

Donning his standard pair of sunglasses, he made his way out into the streets and began walking. Normal places to find singers would be cafes or somewhere people go with their friends. Heading to the nearest coffee shop, he moved to the counter and ordered a frozen caramel latte.

Taking a seat and waiting for his drink to be brought to him, he glanced out the window, seeing plenty of people walk past. He knew that he could simply walk up to any of them and offer them the job, but if their voice proved to be undesirable, he would lose his job for sure.

_Why can't recruiting new media artists be simple?_ he wondered with a sigh. _There are plenty of talented people out there, but they never show their talent. Those that do are usually gone within a few years. The company needs someone that will last a while._

A pretty waitress brought over his drink and he tipped her for it with a smile before making his way back out onto the streets. _I suppose I could always look on the internet._ he mused, sipping his drink casually, gazing at the people around him. _But that's usually fruitless. I need a voice that's new, exciting, energizing…_

He suddenly paused mid-step. Someone was humming nearby. As he listened, he smiled and turned. The person that was singing slowly but surely began to sing. And what he heard was absolutely what he had been looking for. It was perfect.

He had found his new voice.

* * *

**_I just want you to know two things. First off, I mean no disrespect to anyone who is homeless and doesn't live like this. This is just my portrayal of the worst possible situation I could come up with. Second, Luka's not going to be staying homeless for long, obviously. So, my Luka fans, don't kill me. She's going to be okay._**

_**A**__**lso, just so y'all know, I've got a Twitter, a Tumblr, a Facebook page and an Archive of Our Own page so that you guys can check things out, get updates, check out sneak peeks of things to be published, get inside looks at new chapters, the like. (Wow, I really do sound like a news journalist). All the details are on my profile.**_

_**Now, how about a review of how it's going so far?**_


	2. Offered

_**Here's the next chapter for all of you wonderfully patient people! Enjoy, my alligators!**_

* * *

Luka rocked her head to the beat as she let the lyrics slip from her lips. She sang whenever there was a lull in her day and it usually made her feel better to sing as she used to. Singing had always been something that lifted her heart when she was feeling low and now was no exception. Letting the tune swirl around her, the pinkette felt it wrap her in a calming blanket, as if things weren't as bad as they seemed.

Luka stopped abruptly, her head whipping around as she heard someone coming closer. The man stared at her in shock, making the pinkette feel self-conscious. Baring her teeth, she growled, "Can I help you?"

The man took a moment to compose himself before asked, "Was that you singing? Just now?"

Luka eyed him suspiciously before replying, "There's no one else around so I suppose so."

The man cleared his throat and offered her a smile. "I've been looking for someone with a new voice and I think yours is quite unique. What's your name?"

"Luka."

"Well, Luka, if you're willing, I can offer you a job."

"Doing what?" the pinkette cocked her head curiously.

"Singing." the man stated calmly, removing a card from his pocket. "I work for a company that specializes in producing media artists, singers being among the top priorities." He handed the card to her. "If ever you want to have somewhere warm to sleep and nice meal, just go to the address on the card and ask for me, alright?"

Luka slowly took the card from him and nodded, watching him walk away. Glancing down, the pinkette stared at the card with interest.

**CRYPTON FUTURE MEDIA**  
7-1-5 Sufer's Paradise  
Yamaha, 170-3293

**_Hiyama Kiyoteru_**  
_Media Artist Recruitor_  
Tel: 914-242-1012 Fax: 914-242-1312 Cell: 914-368-2812  
hiya_teru  
audition

She remembered Crypton. They were one of the largest producers of actors, singers and other performers in the world._ And one of their recruiter's wants me?_ Luka snorted derisively. _Maybe he's having an off week and thought I might be worthwhile. I doubt when he gets a better look at me he'll want me to stay._

Sighing to herself, Luka continued with her day, laying back on the gravel as she tried to think of other ways to find a job. _I don't see how I could get a job anywhere else_. she thought wearily. _No one will even let me get an application if they see how I look and there's no where for me to go._

Glancing to the card in her hand, Luka wondered if it was really worth it to try her hand at the man's offer. Shaking her head with a scoff, the pinkette put the card into the pocket of her thin jacket and stood, going out in search of lunch and possibly dinner as well. _Hopefully the bugs haven't taken all of the good stuff._

_**…**_

Kiyoteru drove back to Crypton and sighed as he made his way up to his office. The woman he had seen was interesting to say the least. She had a wonderful voice, husky and slightly deep, definitely deeper than their top idol's. However, when he had found her, he had been… quite surprised. She looked to be fairly young, no older than twenty-one was his guess, and an absolute mess as well.

_Is she homeless?_ he wondered to himself, settling behind his desk to draw up a contract for this possible new recruit. _If so, it would possibly be in her best interest to take the offer I gave her. I know she probably won't think it's much, but once she gets here, I can explain the extent of things. With a little luck, she'll take the offer and be here in less than a week. After all, it's going to be getting cold soon…_

This actually caused him to flinch. The woman had seemed hostile, but that's probably due to experience out on the streets. She most likely only seemed wary of him because she perceived him as a possible threat, but that didn't mean she wasn't a nice person. He didn't like seeing anyone out on the streets and it made his heart ache for the woman to know that it was cold and she didn't have anywhere to go.

Sighing, he stood and made his way down the hall. He needed to see an old friend so she could cheer him up. Making his way to the next floor up, Kiyoteru knocked at a large black door.

"Come in!" came the call from inside.

Kiyoteru opened the door and was greeted with a large smile. "Teru-kun!" the woman behind the desk cheered happily. "How are you?"

"A little worried." he replied with a weary sigh.

"Oh?" she indicated the chair in front of her desk. "Care to talk about it? I have tea."

"That would be lovely, thank you." Kiyoteru settled into the chair opposite his comrade and waited for her to bring over a cup of the warm drink. He watched as she put ice cubes in her own and chuckled. "Still putting ice in your tea?"

"I'm anemic." the woman shrugged. "And I have an odd craving for ice when I haven't eaten beef in quite some time."

Kiyoteru nodded and sighed. The woman's eyes zeroed in on him and she cocked her head. "What's on your mind?" she inquired calmly.

"Your eyes." the tall man lied. "How do you get two eyes and have both of them have two different colors? Green with a blue ring around them isn't rare, but green with _two_ different blue rings? That's ridiculous."

"Teru-kun." the woman said firmly. "You came here because you were worried and I know it isn't about why my eyes are three different colors. What's on your mind?"

Kiyoteru gave a soft laugh and sighed again. "I just found someone with a new voice."

"Really?" This made his companion sit up straighter.

"Yes. I found her out on the streets, obviously. She had a voice I haven't heard before and I thought it would be best to talk to her about joining Crypton."

"Did she take it?"

"I don't know if she will." Kiyoteru's shoulders slumped. "I'm hoping she does, though. It's going to be getting cold soon and I want her to have a place to stay."

The woman's eyebrow raised in confusion and her mind took a few seconds to catch up before her eyes widened. "She's… homeless?"

"I think so."

"Well, I know your judgement fairly well by now." the woman told him. "And you wouldn't have given her your card if you thought she wouldn't be the type to take the job. She must be a smart one too." She gave him a reassuring smile and leaned forward to tap his nose affectionately. "She'll be here. And if she's not here before your deadline, I'll just have a talk with dad to keep you here until she does show up."

Kiyoteru smiled and stood, taking his teacup with him. "Thanks so much for making me feel better, nee-san."

"No problem, Teru-kun." The woman sent him a grin. "What else am I here for?"

"Aggression and force when people don't want to leave." Kiyoteru joked automatically, earning a laugh.

"I want my teacup back later!" the woman called as he left.

"You'll get it back when she arrives." Kiyoteru replied.

"I'm holding you to that."

"You got it, Tenshi-nee."

Making his way back to his office, Kiyoteru felt his spirits lifted and began work on the contract once more, one thing on his mind. _Luka..._

**_…_**

Luka shivered and wrapped her jacket tighter around herself. The days had gotten much colder since the day the man had come to give her his card. There had been frost gathering on the ground when she awoke that morning and her fingers and toes were numb from the cold.

_I might actually get frostbite this year._ She thought absently, rubbing her hands together and blowing on them to try to gain some warmth. She had skipped breakfast that day since it had been trash day and the dumpsters were empty by the time she woke up.

Glancing around at her cove, Luka felt a pang of sadness and sighed, taking the card from her jacket pocket. _It's not too far away._ she thought to herself. _And worse comes to worse, I'll be in a warm building for at least five minutes before they call security to kick me out all over again._

Nodding to herself in the affirmative, Luka stood and gathered what little belongings she had. Her broken comb was the only thing she had that wasn't already on her body. Slipping it into her pocket, Luka set out for the address on the card.

Keeping to the shadows so as not to draw attention to herself, Luka stealthily made her way along the streets. Shops along the sidewalks called her name, their scents filling the air and making the pinkette's mouth water. If she did get kicked out of Crypton, she was going to make a mental note to return to this street and scavenge what she could. Licking her lips thinking about it, Luka continued on her way.

Finally, she arrived at the street she was supposed to be on and glanced around, spotting a large building at the address she was meant to be at. Looking to it curiously, the pinkette found that it looked similar to a hotel. _Maybe they bought out the hotel owners and made it into a business building?_ she wondered absently as she walked to the stairs.

It was about then that worry clouded her mind and Luka wondered if this was a good idea. She remembered when _it_ happened. What if this place was torn from her as well? Not in the same way as when _it_ happened, obviously, but it was still a very real possibility. _Come on, Luka._ she berated herself. _Man up, you can do this_. Taking a deep breath, Luka placed her hand against the door and opened it, moving forward and wondering what would welcome her.

* * *

**_If you're wondering what Kiyoteru's card looked like, I have a picture of it on my deviantart page. I'm under the username xxKittenspidermonkey. It took me forever to create, but it's titled Business Card. Now, how was that? Drop me a review my sweet alligators!_**


	3. Taken

**_Enjoy, guys!_**

* * *

Trudging into the building, Luka glanced around in awe. It had been a long time since she had been anywhere near as clean as this place. People came and went occasionally, some of them with microphones or drawings and others in business suits. Hoping none of them took notice of her, Luka made her way over to the reception desk.

"Hello!" the woman at the desk said without looking up. "How may I-oh." The woman had turned from her computer and caught sight of the woman standing behind her.

Luka cringed. She was used to this reaction, but it still hurt to see people do it without even knowing her first. "H-hi." she said softly. "I'm here to speak with a Mr. Hiyama Kiyoteru?"

"I'll call up and tell him you're waiting, Miss…?"

"Luka." the pinkette answered. The receptionist nodded and turned to the phone, gesturing to the sitting area for Luka to relax at while waiting. Luka nodded and moved to the area, settling on the floor so as not to ruin the obviously expensive furniture.

She could see the receptionist whispering feverishly on the phone and knew the woman was describing her appearance to Kiyoteru. _Will he even remember me?_ Luka wondered. _He probably talks to tons of homeless people who can sing. Why would I be any different?_

A few moments after the receptionist hung up the phone, the door to the stairwell opened, making Luka jump. She turned to find Kiyoteru standing in the doorway, out of breath but smiling brightly at her. Taking deep breaths, the tall man strode over.

"Luka-san!" he greeted her. "It's wonderful to see you again. Have you considered my offer?"

"Yeah." the pinkette nodded.

"Fantastic! Shall we head to my office to work out a contract and then get you a nice shower and some fresh clothes?" Kiyoteru swept his hand toward the stairs and Luka nodded, following him up to the third floor.

"Only the third?" she asked quizzically.

"I'll explain everything once we're in my office." Kiyoteru told her. "It's against company policy to talk about things with outsiders unless in one's office. For privacy reasons or some ridiculous nonsense like that. Here we are."

He opened a door into a plush brown and black themed office. Luka stepped inside and glanced down at the furry black rug beneath her bare feet. Cringing slightly, she made to step back, but her guide pushed her back.

"Is something wrong?" Kiyoteru inquired, gazing at her worriedly.

"Y-your rug…" Luka explained, glancing down at her dirty feet, which had been leaving prints on the linoleum the entire trip up.

"Don't worry about the furniture, Luka-san." the tall man chuckled. "It's all cleanable, I promise. Please, make yourself at home. From what I gather, this may be quite the talk."

Slowly, the pinkette settled into the comfortable brown chair in front of the large chestnut desk as Kiyoteru settled behind it. "So tell me, what do you want to know?"

"Why is your office only on the third floor when there looked to be twelve floors?" Luka asked.

"Because the top floors from nine up are reserved for our singers. All singers under Crypton's name and contract live in the Crypton building. It is high security to prevent kidnappings, break-ins, attempted murders, the like.

"The floors five to eight are reserved for the creation of the music or television show or whatever we're producing. Production studios, dressing rooms, recording booths, music video green-screens, et cetera are all located on those floors.

"From four down is where management is located. Managers of current singers or actors are located on the fourth floor, recruiters are third floor, company management is on the second floor and everyone else is on the first floor." Luka nodded.

"If I were to sign a contract right now, would I be able to choose how long it lasted or would the company decide that for me and under what circumstances can it be terminated or extended?"

Kiyoteru smiled. _Cunning girl._ he thought to himself with pride. _She'll get along great with our top singer. She asked the same questions when I recruited her._

"If you were to sign a contract right now, it is automatically decided by the company. Since most of our primary contracts are generic, all of them are only a year long. You will be able to decide on the length of the contract from then on out.

"Contracts can only be terminated if you violate the conditions within the contracts and in order to extend a contract, you have to meet with your manager at least one day prior to your contract's expiration so you can go over a new contract."

The pinkette looked thoughtful for a moment before glancing at him speculatively. "How much of my paycheck goes towards the utilities of living here at Crypton?"

Kiyoteru thought about that a moment. "The last time I checked, we only took five percent of your paycheck to pay utilities for your living conditions here. The higher your check, the better your living conditions. I will warn you that you might start out rooming with someone else, but some of our more famous idols have their own suites on the top floor."

Luka nodded in understanding and said, "How much do I get paid?"

Here, Kiyoteru brightened, knowing this must have been bugging the woman since she received his offer. "You are given forty percent of all earnings from album sales, thirty percent of all individual song sales, fifty percent of concert sales and forty-five percent of merchandise sales."

Luka stared at him a moment, doing the math in her head. _That would be four dollars per CD, thirty-three to forty-three cents per song bought, twenty-five thousand dollars per concert and ranging from thirty-three cents to at least forty-five dollars on merchandise. If I sold even one of each every month, that would be twenty-five thousand forty-nine dollars and forty-three cents a month, which is more than enough to get me by._

"Is there anything else I need to know before I sign the contract?" Luka inquired softly, gazing into the soft brown eyes opposite her own.

"Not that I can think of." Kiyoteru told her, smiling.

"Alright then, let's draw up a contract." Luka sighed.

"Once a contract is drawn, I'll lead you to your new manager and she or he will assign you a mentor to help you learn the ropes of the place. Then we will decide your living conditions, set a date for your audition in front of the songwriters and get you fitted for a stage costume." The pinkette blinked before nodding.

After roughly half an hour discussing what Crypton expected of all its employees the first year, Luka followed Kiyoteru down the hall and up the flight of stairs to search out a new manager. Her guide stopped in front of a large chart in the middle of the hall and gazed at it a moment. Luka surveyed it and noticed that it involved names and numbers. The numbers weren't large, only counting as high as thirty. Some of the names had checks up to thirty while others didn't have any.

"I think you would work best with Hikari Tenshi." Kiyoteru said after a moment, pointing to a name that didn't have any checks on it.

"Hikari Tenshi?" Luka asked curiously.

"Yes. Tenshi-nee is hard to get along with at first and may come off as really aggressive and judgmental, but don't worry, that's all bark. Unless you hurt someone she considers hers. Then it's definitely bite. She's actually a really nice person once you open her up. Kind of moody, but otherwise nice."

Kiyoteru's explanation came to an end as they stood outside a large plain black door. Luka glanced to it skeptically, remembering that Kiyoteru's door had designs on the doorframe.

"She prefers simpler things." the tall man chuckled, knocking three times on the door.

"Come in!" a voice from inside called.

Kiyoteru opened the door and led Luka inside.

* * *

**_Drop a review like a good alligator and tell me what you all think?_**


	4. Finding a Home

**_Wow, it's been way too long since I updated this. Hope you're not too angry with me! Enjoy the chapter, alligators!_**

* * *

The office was just as simple as the door, but also quite elegant. A dark red carpet, dark purple chairs, a black desk and pitch-black curtains, only one of which was open. In front of the window stood a woman with short curly reddish hair. Her body shape suggested a well-worked muscular form, added by the fact that the sleeves of her suit clung to her arms and outlined them. Luka felt a shiver run down her spine looking at the woman, but felt surprise take over when she turned.

Pale skin covered a long face with green and teal eyes and plump pink lips. The woman turned to Kiyoteru and smiled before turning her curious gaze to Luka. Her eyes narrowed slightly and her lips formed a thin line, an air of dislike exuding from her.

"Is this what you were talking about?" Luka whispered.

"Yes. She's assessing you outwardly and probably is thinking that you need a bath." Kiyoteru explained sympathetically. "Let her get to know you before saying you hate her."

Both turned back to the woman, Hikari Tenshi, who had cocked her head slightly, still surveying Luka. "Now, she's examining your body shape, physicalities and such. It's the only way she remembers people since she's not good with names."

"Teru-kun?" the woman called. "Who's your friend?"

"Tenshi-nee, hear her out." Kiyoteru stated, gesturing for Luka to follow him inside. "This is Luka-san. I heard her singing a few weeks back and invited her to come work for us. I thought she would work well with you and how you tend to do your schedules."

Tenshi nodded in understanding and turned to the pinkette. "It's nice to meet you, Luka-san." she said softly, slowly holding out her hand. Luka took it and the two exchanged a firm handshake that lasted seconds.

"My apologies for making it swift, but I don't like other people touching me unless I initiate the contact. And I'm not very good with new people, ironically enough." Tenshi explained. "Do you have a last name, Luka-san?"

The pinkette had expected the question, but it still came as a surprise to hear someone ask her. Her original surname, Inu, didn't belong to her anymore, so her mind flopped about until it came up with a solution. Remembering an old stage name she used to use with her friends, Luka blurted it out before thinking. "Megurine. Megurine Luka."

Tenshi hummed thoughtfully for a moment and nodded. "Alright then, Luka-san, I trust Teru-kun has drawn your contract already?"

"Y-yes." the pinkette replied, relieved they bought it.

"Wonderful. Let's get you situated then! Teru-kun, you wanna come?"

"Of course." Kiyoteru replied with a slight shrug. "My job is done for the day after all."

"And thankfully, mine is finally starting." Tenshi sighed. "First thing, we need to find Luka-san suitable living quarters."

"Which floor are you thinking?" Kiyoteru asked.

"Sadly, since she's new, we'll have to put her on floor nine. Hopefully, she can build herself up to something more unless she wishes to stay on nine." Tenshi led them up more stairs and onto the ninth floor.

"Don't like elevators, either." the redhead chuckled as she checked the doors. "Hm, Teto-chan moved out last week, but her spot was filled quickly by Seeu-san. Luka-san, do you mind rooming with someone?"

"No." Luka eagerly replied. She didn't care so long as she wasn't living outside.

"Alright, let's put you with Lily-chan then." Tenshi decided. "She's not as new as you, but still pretty new. I believe we only got her a month ago."

Luka gazed at the white door in front of her with a mix of excitement and apprehension in her stomach. Tenshi knocked three times at the door before tapping out a beat as she waited for someone to answer. From the other side of the door came the shout, "Tenshi-sama, I know that's you! Stop that noise! I'm coming!"

"Not noise." Tenshi pouted once the door opened. "Music. It was a rhythm."

"Well, it woke me up, so to me, it's noise." In the doorway stood a blonde woman with hair a little past her waist, wearing a white tank top and a pair of black shorts. "What do you want?"

"We're giving you a roommate." Tenshi said simply, ushering Luka forward. Shrewd blue eyes surveyed the pinkette and Luka felt her self-consciousness coming back full force. "Lily-chan, this is Megurine Luka-san, our newest edition. Luka-san, this is your new roommate, Masuda Lily-chan."

"Nice to meet you." Lily said, opening the door further. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. Got a clean set of clothes?"

"No." Luka responded. Lily hummed softly.

"You can share my closet then, until you get stuff of your own." Luka's eyes widened in shock, fully expecting Lily to want to kick her out after finding out she didn't have other clothing. Kiyoteru and Tenshi chuckled at her dumbfounded expression.

"Lily-chan's not all that bad." the redhead told her.

"She's just like Tenshi-nee." Kiyoteru agreed. "Tough at first, but softer as time goes on."

"Go ahead and get yourself cleaned up." Tenshi urged, turning to walk away. "Come to my office once you're finished and have had a meal."

Luka glanced after them before stepping into the suite and looking around. It wasn't small. There was enough space for a main area, two separate bedrooms on either side and a standard sized bathroom. It was a little messy, but nothing too bad. Lily hadn't put up any decorations or pictures of any kind, but this didn't bother the pinkette as she didn't have anything to put up either.

Lily appeared from one of the bedrooms with a bundle in her arms. Handing the bundle to Luka, the blonde said, "That's clothing. All the essentials are in there as well. You go ahead and take first shower while I make breakfast."

"Okay." Luka slowly walked to the bathroom and laid out the supplies she was given. Lily hadn't been joking when she said all the essentials. She had even provided her a toothbrush and underclothes that looked to be brand new. Luka felt a smile curl her lips at the other woman's consideration and turned the shower on to a reasonable temperature. Peeling her dirty clothes off her body, Luka examined her scars for a moment before slowly stepping into the bathtub.

Luka gasped as she stepped under the spray. It was the first time in quite a few years that she had stepped into a shower. She had forgotten how heavenly the water felt, caressing her skin like a warm blanket, the steam surrounding her and lulling her into a state of relaxation.

Falling to her knees, the pinkette felt tears prick her eyes. She bowed her head, placing her chin against her chest as she simply allowed the water to flow over her body and wash away all it could. After letting the spray do its job, Luka reached over and took the soap in her hand, using it and her cloth to wipe the grime from her body.

Standing, Luka grabbed the shampoo, lathering her hair with the liquid and massaging it into her scalp. Leaving the soap in for a moment, Luka took the showerhead and rinsed it from her head. Finishing up cleaning her body, the pinkette shut off the water and reached out for the towel, drying herself as she stepped from the tub. Brushing her teeth and running the comb through her wet hair, Luka slipped into the clothes Lily had given her. It was a white turtleneck and a long black skirt.

Luka smiled softly to herself once she could finally recognize her reflection. Slowly opening the door, she stepped from the bathroom and watched Lily turn. It was comical seeing the blonde's jaw drop at the sight of her, a reaction Luka hadn't seen in years.

"Whoa." Lily breathed, eyeing her appreciatively. "You clean up good."

"Thanks to you helping me out." Luka replied softly.

"Nah, don't mention." Lily waved her hand. "You need help til you get back on your feet and what kind of roommate would I be if I didn't offer?"

"Uh…"

"Don't answer that." Lily told her with a smile as she flipped something out of a pan on the stove. It was then that Luka realized how hungry she was and her stomach gave a loud growl at the smell permeating the air. Luka blushed in embarrassment as Lily chuckled.

"Hungry, I see." the blonde chuckled. "When was the last time you had a decent meal?"

Luka thought about that question for a moment before shrugging. That was too far a time ago, when things were simpler. Lily nodded and brought the last plate to the table between the kitchen and the lounge area. Luka took a seat and stared at the assortment before her. Muffins, biscuits, eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes and a bowl of apples were spread in front of her and the pinkette didn't know what to start with.

Lily set a plate in front of her new roommate with a smirk. "Don't just sit there, dig in. I did spend time on this after all."

"Th-thank you." Luka murmured, reaching for the plate of pancakes. Sliding one onto her plate, she added eggs, bacon and two muffins to her plate, topping the entire thing with syrup. Cutting into her pancake, Luka took the first bite and immediately dug into the rest, devouring it ravenously.

Lily paused as she was finishing her first pancake and stared in shock as the woman across from her tore into her food. Luka was finished within minutes, wiping her mouth with one of the napkins Lily had laid out. The blonde thought this was as good a time as any for her to start up a conversation.

"So, where did Hiyama-sama find you?" Lily asked, chewing a bacon strip.

"Outside." Luka murmured, ducking her head.

"I kinda got that." Lily chuckled. "Singing contest? Cafe performance? Strip club? What?"

Luka shook her head. "I was outside on the street." she clarified, staring at her pancakes.

Lily nodded to that before asking, "How did you end up out on the streets?"

Instantly, Luka's entire figure stiffened. She flashed back to a time before fighting thugs and shooing cats. A time before the begging and shivering. A time before she slept on the ground and endured cruelty and insults from the general public.

She had a family, she had friends, she had people who loved her. She slept in a bed. She had an older brother, even. She always found a warm meal. But then… _it_ happened. _It_ happened and all of that was taken from her in the blink of an eye.

Luka snapped back to reality as a hand waved in front of her face. "Earth to Luka-san!" Lily called. "You still in there?"

"I would rather not talk about it." Luka told her, pushing her plate away. She felt nauseous.

"That bad, huh?" Lily sighed. "You know, Crypton will pay for a counselor or something."

"I _really_ don't want to talk about it." the pinkette reiterated.

Lily nodded and glanced to the clock. "Well, you'd better get down to Tenshi-sama's office. She'll be expecting you."

Luka also looked to the clock and realized it was early afternoon. Standing, she smiled at her new roommate. "Thanks for… everything, Lily."

"No problem." Lily replied, going back to her breakfast.

Luka made her way down the stairs to the fourth floor and looked around for the simple black door. Finding it easily enough, she hesitantly knocked and waited for permission to enter.

"Come in!" Tenshi called.

Luka slowly opened the door and stepped inside. The three people inside had the same reactions as Lily, jaws dropping as they surveyed her. Luka felt a blush climb to her cheeks and she shifted uncomfortably. "Hello, Tenshi-sama." she breathed softly.

Tenshi blinked a moment before smiling gently at the pinkette. "How are you feeling, Luka-san?" she inquired cheerfully.

"Good." Luka responded. "I just ate and had my first shower in years."

"Wonderful!" Kiyoteru cheered, beaming at her. "If you're ready, we want to assign you a mentor."

"A mentor?" Luka asked curiously, eyes flicking to the remaining person in the room.

"Yes." Tenshi nodded quickly. "Luka-san, meet our top artist, Hatsune Miku. Miku-chan, this is Teru-kun's newest recruit, Megurine Luka."

Miku stood and held out her hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Luka-san!"

* * *

**_YAY! We finally got a wild Miku appearing! Finally. Why not drop a review and tell me what you think of this? Yes, I know I make Lily Luka's friend way too often, but I don't care, I like the dynamic I give them!_**


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